Great Lives Lecture Series: Lawrence of Arabia

Springing from a somewhat unorthodox and never legalized union between an Anglo-Irish petty lord and his governess, Thomas Edward Lawrence combined an elite Oxford education, wartime opportunity, and an impressive knack for self-promotion to emerge as one of the most famous characters of the Great War. Symbolic of Britain’s imperial ambitions in the Arab World, Lawrence successfully used his liberal arts education in history, archaeology, and Oriental Studies to provide key contributions to the negotiation process which shaped today’s Middle East. After the war, with the help of American journalist Lowell Thomas’ promotion efforts, Lawrence’s reputation grew steadily, until the 1962 film “Lawrence of Arabia” ensured a continuing mythical status.

Find out more about this lecture on the University of Mary Washington's web site.

All lectures in the university's Great Lives series are held at 7:30pm, in Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall, and are free and open to the public.

Find out more about Lawrence of Arabia by checking out these items from the library:

Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia by Michael Korda
[T]he story of an epic life on a grand scale: a revealing, in-depth, and gripping biography of the extraordinary, mysterious, and dynamic Englishman whose daring exploits and romantic profile including his blond, sun-burnished good looks and flowing white robes made him an object of intense fascination, still famous the world over as "Lawrence of Arabia." As this magisterial work demonstrates, Lawrence remains one of the most unique and fascinating figures of modern times, the arch-hero whose life is at once a triumph and a sacrifice and whose capacity to astonish still remains undimmed. (catalog summary)

Lawrence of Arabia produced by Flashback Television Ltd. for the Biography Channel (DVD)
Ride into the desert with the Briton who helped end centuries of Ottoman domination in the Arabian peninsula. (catalog summary)

Lawrence of Arabia produced by Sam Spiegel (DVD)
Winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture (1962), Lawrence of Arabia is the epic true story of how a WWI British army officer united rival Arab tribes in their war against the Turks, and in the process became a living legend. Complete with spectacular battle sequences, stunning desert vistas and Peter O'Toole's larger-than-life performance as the heroic T. E. Lawrence, this is grand-scale action and excitement at its very best.

Lawrence of Arabia: The Life, the Legend by Malcolm Brown
Illustrated biography relates the enigmatic and captivating life of the famous T.E. Lawrence, with excerpts from letters and his Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph by T.E. Lawrence (book and audiobook)
The monumental work that assured T.E. Lawrence's place in history as "Lawrence of Arabia." Not only a consummate military history, but also a colorful epic and a lyrical exploration of the mind of a great man who helped shape the Middle East as it exists today. (catalog summary)

Biographical essays and literary criticism are available online through the library’s databases. Visit LibraryPoint.org/research.